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0. L. GILLILAND.

LoAnER. APPLlcATloN man )uur 24. ma. 1,304,307. I Patented May 20,1919.

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PatentedMay 20, 19I9.`

o. LJGILLILAND.

LOADER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 24,1918.

0. l.. GILLILAND.

LOADER.

. APPLICATION FILED IUP/24.1918. 1,304,307. Patented May 20, 1919.

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:ICICICIDU UB L`IB I l L s. "3 V H w Sg l 2% N) MIL.

OBRA L. GILLILAND, 0F MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

LOADER.

Speccaton of Letters Patent. v Patgted lVIay 20, 1919.

Application filed July 24, 1918. Serial No. 246,474.

To all whom t may cof/wcm Be it known that I, Omni L. GrLLrnAND, a citizen of the United States, residing at h/llinneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Loaders; and I do hereby decla-re the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame. y

My invention relates to loaders for use in loading bundles, shocks, hay and the like, and has for its -primary object to provide rakes arranged for coperation with pickup devices.

To the above end, the invention consists l of the novel devices and combinations of d evices hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which someparts of which are shown in different positions by means of broken lines;

Fig. 2 is a view principally in plan illustrating the parts shown in Fig. 1, with some parts removedand other parts sectioned Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detail view in section taken on the irregular line 3 3 of Fig. 2; on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the side plates and tie bars; l I

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective'view of one of the pickup devices and rakes;

Fig. 6 is a detail view in section taken` on# the line 6 6 of Fig. 3; and

Fig 7 is a detail view partly in bottom plan and partly insection taken on the line 7 7 of Fig. 6. y

The numeral 8 indicates `the main frame of the loader, which is supported at its rear end on a pair of traction wheels, not shown. A' supplemental frame 9, located directly under the front end of the main frame 7, .is pivoted thereto atlO to permit raising and lowering movement of its front end with respect to the main frame. Wheel brackets 11 are secured to the front end of the supplemental frame 9 and have vertical sleeve bearings 12 in which are rotatively mounted steering posts 13 having on their lower ends stub axles 14, on which are journaled a pair of front wheels 15.l Toeach wheel bracket 11, is rigidly securedv the lower ends of a pair of transverselyl spaced posts 16 connected at their upper extremities by a tie bar 17. The upper end portions of the steering posts 13 are journaled in brackets 18 on the tie bar 17 and have rigidly secured thereto rearwardly projecting arms 19 connected by a tie bar 20 for simultaneous angular movement. Anysuitable means, not shown, may be provided for operating one of the steering posts 13 to impart simultaneous angular steering movements to the front wheels 15. v

The forward ends of the side members of the main frame 8 `project between the pairs of posts 16 and are supported for lraising and lowering movement, with respect to the supplemental frame 9, by bell crank levers 21, links 22 and operating rods 23. The bell crank levers 21 are pivoted. to the posts 16 and have lower armsconnected to the main frame 8. by the links 22 and their upper arms to the operating rods 23. The `operat'- ing rods 23 may be secured in different lon` gitudinal adjustments at their rear ends by i any suitable means, such as a latch lever. To facilitate the raising of the front end .of l the main frame 8, counterbalancing springs 24 are connected to the wheel brackets 11 and bell crank leversv21, in a manner to impart a lifting movement to said levers.

Mounted within the main and supplemental frames, are two vertically disposed laterallyspaced cast side plates 25 rigidly connected and heldproperly .spaced by a rear tie bar 26, an upper intermediate tie bar'27 and a lower intermediate tie bar 23.r These side plates 25 have on their outer faces tubular trunnions 29 journaled in bearings 30 on the supplemental frame 9 to intermediately and pivotally support said plates for vertical swinging movement. It will. be noted that the ,trunnions 29 are located considerably rearward of the longitudinal centers of the side plates 25, so that the forward ends thereof willtend to tip downward, underl the action of gravity.

The forward ends of the side plates 25 are supported at the desired elevation above the ground by a pair of short chains 31 and a pair of rod's 32. rlhe chains 31 afford flexible connections between the side plates25 los and rods 32 and are arranged to run over guide sheaves 33 on the main frame 8. Suitable mechanism, not shown, will be provided for adjustably holding the rear ends of the rods 32, and thereby support the front ends of the side plates 25 in diderent elevations. It may be here stated that the purpose of the short chains 31 is to provide flexible connections, whereby the forward ends of the side plates 25 will lift, in case either one thereof engages an obstruction.

Formed with each side plate 25 and spaced inward therefrom, are flat upper and lower tracks 34 and 35, respectively, connected by a vertical web 36. The forward ends of the track sections 34 and 35 come together in the form of 'a downwardly inclined V and said upper track section has on its under face a downwardly and forwardly inclined cam surface 37, the forward end of which is connected to the upper member of the V by a horizontal surface 38. Also formed in the upper track section 34, is a downwardly and rearwardly inclined cam surface 39. In the lower track section 35, under the track surface 38, is a cam surface 40.

Between cach side plate 25 and its web 36, is a wheel pocket 41 that is concentric with the respective trunnion 29. On the lower edge of the side plate 25, is an inwardly projecting horizontal flange 42, the rear end of which extends into the bottom and rear wall of the wheel pocket 41 and forms a forward extension thereof. Extending transversely through 'the track sections 34 and 35 'and web 36, is a passageway 43. A track section 44 forms a forward continuation of the rear portion of the lower track section 35 and its forward portion is straight and extends forwardly and downwardly in a plane below the adjacent portion of the flange 42 and substantially parallel therewith. Between the straight portion of the track section 44 and the rear end of the track section 35, is a drop or depression 45.

Mounted in each wheel pocket 41. is a pair of integrally formed sprocket wheels 46 and 47 journaled on a short shaft 48 having its outer end mounted in the hollow trunnion 29 and its inner end in the web 36. Alined with each sprocket wheel 46, is a relatively small sprocket wheel 49 journaled in a movable bearing 50 adjustably secured to the front end of the respective side plate 25, and which bearing serves as a chain tightener for a sprocket chain 51 arranged to run over the alined sprocket wheels 46 and 49. The upper and lower laps of each chain 51 are held spaced by a wheel 51.

Several sets of pickup devices or forks, as shown three, are mounted on the loader and moved in an endless course by the sprocket chains 51. Each set of pickup de` vices comprises a plurality of tines 52, a

horizontal tubular bar 53 and a pair of arms 54, to the intermediate port-ions of which are rigidly secured the ends of said bars. The tines 52 are detachably but rigidly secured to the bars 53 by laterally spaced holders 55 having curved channel-shaped front end portions and tubular rear end portions to receive the rear ends of the tines. Nuts 56 on the extreme rear ends of the tines 52 secure said tines in their holders 55. Each holder 55 is divided and provided with a pair of outturned lugs 57, through which is inserted a nut-equipped bolt 58 for contracting said holder and frictionally clamping the saine in position on the respective bars 53.

The short or front ends of the arms 54 are secured to the sprocket chains 51 by long pivot pins 59 on the intermediate portions of which are journaled rollers 60. These rollers 60 also act as spacing devices for the chains 51 and arms 54. Relatively short rollers 61 are journaled on trunnions secured to the rear or long ends of the arms 54, project in the same direction as the rollers 60 and arranged to run over the inner faces of the track sections 34 and Integrally formed with the rear portion of each arm 54, is an offset and upwardly projecting cam flange 62. During the rearward travel of the forks, the rollers 61 move along the under surface of the track sections 34 and are held in contact therewith, except at the passageways 43, under the action of the weight or load on said forks, W'hile the rollers 61 are thus moving through the passageways 43, the arms 54 are held by the engagement of their cam flanges 62 with small rollers 63 carried by brackets 64 on the tie bar 27.

A deck comprising a plurality of edgewise spaced plates 65 is formed to substantially follow the course traveled by the chains 51, except at the rear thereof. The lower ends of the plates 65 are secured to the tie bar 28, extend forward below the chains 51 and their intermediate portions are curved substantially concentric with the sprocket wheels 49. From the sprocket wheels 49, the plates 65 extend upwardly and rearwardly, and have their upper ends secured to the tie bar 27. The spacing of the deck plates 65 is such that the tines 52 freely work therebetween.

The pickup devices are preferably positioned to move over the surface of the ground substantially at the saineelevation with which the cut of the grain or hay is made. To gather the materials below this elevation, I provide for each tine 52 a rake 66 secured to the respective holder 55. Each rake 66, as shown, is formed from a single rod bent upon itself to form two laterally spaced teeth located, one on each side of the overlying tine 52. The upper end portions of the rake teeth are bent to form spring coils 67, which encircle a pair of axially alined hubs 68 removably mounted in .seats formed in a pair of dependingflanges 69 integrally formed with the holder 55. These hubs 68 are connected andheld in the fianges 69 by a nut-equipped bolt 70. The upper end of each rake 66 is inserted through a slot 71 formed in the under side of the respective holder 55' and is thereby rigidi secured and acts as a base of resistance or the teeth of the rake. Obviously, the spring coils 67 will permit the rake teeth to yield, in case they engage an obstruction, such as a stone, stump or ro-ugh place in the field.

An elevator is provided -for receiving the bundles or other materials delivered thereto by the pickup devices. This elevator comprises a pair of endless sprocket chains 72 and a multiplicity ofspaced slats 7 3 yin the form of angle bars, having one of their flanges secured to the sprocket chains and projecting in the direction of the travel thereof and having their other ends projecting inwardly. These inwardly projecting ianges on the upper lap of the sprocket chain 72 scrapes over a deck 74 secured to an elevator frame 7 5 carried by the main frame. The sprocket chains 72 run` over upper and lower sprocket wheels, only the lower of which are shown and indicated by the numeral 7 6 and journaled on a shafty 77."

The sprocket chains`51 of the pickup devices are driven from the elevator by a pair of short chains 78, which run over the sprocket wheels 47 and alined relatively small sprocket wheels 79 rigidly secured to the sprocket wheels 7 6 for rotation therewith. The elevator is drivenl inv the direction of the arrows marked thereon in Fig. 1 by suitable connections, not shown, from the traction wheels of the loader to the upper sprocket wheels of said elevator. The loader may be propelled by a gas engine mounted thereon, or pushed orpulled by a tractor or draft animals. Brace rods 80 connect the upper ends of the posts 16 to the intermediate portion of the elevator frame 7 5 to hold said posts aga-inst forward andl backward movement, but, at the same time,

permit t-he required raising and lowering movements of the frames.

Operation.

By manipulating the rods 23, the operator may raise or lower the forward end of the main frame, and thereby simultaneously impart a like movement to the rear end of the supplemental frame, as indicated by broken plates 25 to raise, in case they or the tinesv 52 engage an obstruction, and thus prevent the pickup devices from being broken or damaged. If one of the tines 52 or rakes 66 are broken or bent, the same may be readily replaced with a new one.

It will be noted that the wheels 51 have smooth faces and hold the sprocket chains 51, so that they move in substantially diamond-shaped courses. When the sprocket chains 51 are making their lower lap .of travel, the rollers 61 move on the upper faces of the lower track sections 35, and,

when making their upper lap of travel, said rollers move on the lower faces of the upper track sections 34. Also, during the lower lap of travelpof. the sprocket chains 51, the rollers 60 move on the ianges 42, and, during their upper lap of travel, said rollers move on the upper faces lof the upper track sections 34. It will also be noted that the rollers 60 move in the same endless diamondshaped courses lwith the sprocket chains 51 s and carry thev front ends of the arms 54 therewith, while the rollers 61 move back and forth in substantially a horizontalcourse, lout at different elevations. thus be seen that the rearwardly moving pickup devices move bodily o-ver the forwardly moving pickup devices.

At the beginning of the forward movement of the pickup devices, the arms 54 are in substantially horizontalpositions and the tines 52 are completely withdrawn from between the deckplates G5 and their points project upwardly. As the sprocket chains 51 move under the sprocket wheels 46V and toward the wheels- 51', the tines 52 are.

brought into substantially horizontal position. ,Further movement of the sprocket chains 51 will cause the tinesh52 to move bodily through the lower portions of the deck plates65 and progressively tip toward the ground,l until they pass under the wheels 51', at which point, said tines will start to gather loose straw. j movement ofthesprocket chains 5l from the wheels 51', thetines 52 are bodily and gradually lifted andA just before the rollers 60 reach the sprocket wheels 49,'-the rollers 61 engage the cam'surfaces 40, which abruptly throw the points of `the tines 52 downward and further yadvance movement thereof causes 'said tines to enter a'bund'le or shock,

Under the advance It will v or pick up loose materials on the ground. As the rollers 60 pass around the sprocket wheels 49, the rollers 61 stand substantially still, while the points of the tines 52 are gradually lifted with the load. The upward movement of the rollers 61 on the cams 40 carries the same onto the track sur faces 38.

During the upper lap of travel ofthe sprocket chains 51, the weight of the load will tend to tip the tines 52 downward, `and thereby hold the rollers 61 on the under side of the track section 34. While the rollers 60 are movingupward from the sprocket wheels 49 tothe wheels 51, the points of the tines 52 are gradually .lifted to insure the safe delivery of the load over the deck plates 65 to the elevator. After the rollers 60 have passed over the wheelsl, the tines 52 start to recede and are radually withdrawn from the load and lrom between the deck plates 65.

The purpose of the Passageways43 is, of course, to permit the connections between the sprocket chains 51 and arms 54, towit: the pivot pins 59 and rollers 60 -to pass through the track sections 34 and 35. To carry the rollers 61 across the passageways 43, during their return movement, the rolln ers 63 are engaged vby the cam flanges 62 on the arms 54 and rwhich vrollers hold the rear ends of said arms against lifting movement. In the forward movement of the rollers 61, they are carried across the passa-geways 43 by the track extensions 44, including the bottom of the depressions 45. Thesetrack extensions 44 project inward from the tracks 34 and 35 sufliciently to be engaged by the curved lower edges of the arms 54, at points substantially directly under the bars l53. Obviously', with the intermediate portions of the arms on the track extensions 44, and the rollers 60 on the tracks 35, said arms will be held against vertical swinging movement, and thereby carry the rollers 61 across the passageways 43. lVhen the pickup devices are traveling without a load, the overbalanced rear ends thereof will tend to tip downward.

To further guide the rear ends of the arms 54 over the tracks 34 and 35 and across the passageways 43, the spacing of said track sections is such that the oppositely moving arms 54, during the intermediate portion of their travel each way, slide7 the one upon the other, and act as track sections, which hold the rollers 61 on the tracks 34 and 35 and prevent swinging movement of the arms 54, in crossing the passageways 43.

In picking up a shock, the advance set of tines 52 will `enter the nearest bundle or bundles and force the butt end or ends thereof into the nearest shock and, at the same time, lift the same, which will tend to tip the top of the bundles toward the loader.

Thenext advancing set of tines 52 will enter the next nearest bundle or bundles and force their butt ends into the shock and, at the saine time, lift the same and lift theirtop or tops onto the first lifted bundle or bundles. This action is repeated until all of the bundles of a shock are picked up. rIhe importance of first forcing thefbutts of the bundles into a shock is to` hold any loose `grain therein, or which `may be shelled during the picking up of a shock. lIn case any loose grain fallson the deck 74, at the time the bundles are delivered from the pickup devices to the elevator, or while the bundles are being moved upward by the elevator, the same will be collected by the slats 73 and scraped upward thereby on said deck and delivered to a conveyer, not shown. Such a conveyer would preferably be arranged'f'to carry the materials delivered thereto, by the elevator, into a basket rack on a vehicle driven at one side of the loader. The elevator will, of course, handle also all kinds of materials delivered thereto, whether loose or in bundles, and the bundles, projecting between the slats of the elevator, will sweep the deck 74 and thereby assist in carrying allgloose materialsthereon to the conveyor.

The rakeg 66, which follow the tines 62, are arranged to pick up all loose material 95 on the 4field that is below said tines, or that is tooshort to be held thereby. The curvature of the teeth of the rakes 66 is such as to securely hold all materials accumulated thereby, while moving upward from the field 100 tothe deck 65. After the rakes 66 have passed around the sprocket wheels 49, the receding movement thereof carries said rakes between the deck plates 65, which act as strippers to remove the materials accumu- 105 lated thereby. As this accumulation of material is stripped from the rakes 66, the saine drops onto the forward ends of the next following advancing set of tines 52 and is lifted with the load on said tines to the 110 deck plates 65 and carried to the elevator. By reference to Fig. 1, it will be noted that there are always two sets of rakes 66 working over the field, thus insuring the gathen ing of all loose materials thereon.

It will be noted that the trunnions 29 are so positioned that the forward ends ofthe side plates 25 tip downward, when the pickup devices, are traveling` idle without a load. It will also be noted that the pull on the 120 sprocket chains 78 over the sprocket wheels 47 is in a direction, which tends to lift the forwardends of the side plates 25, and thereby substantially balance the saine, so that there is very littlepull on the connections 31 and .125 32. In case the tines 52 engage an obstruction, or the load being accumulated thereby is such as to cause the sprocket cha-ins 51 to'drag, the increased pull on the sprocket chains 78 will lift the forward ends of the 130 y side plates 25; and hence, the respective tines 52, and thereby cause the same to clear the obstruction or move out of the load being accumulated.

The above described loader has, in actual usage in the field, proven highly efficient for the purpose had in view. By the use of the rakes 66, the field is raked clean, thus preventing any waste. From actual inspection of the field, under a multiplicity of shocks, after they had been picked up, practically no loose grain was found.

Vhat I claim is :d

l. In a loader of the kind described, the combination with a truck, of a traveling pickup device, and a rake carried by the pickup device and arranged to follow thereafter.

2. In a loader of the kind described, the combination with a truck, of a traveling pickup device including a bar, a holder on the bar, and a tine and a rake carried by the holder and located, the one in advance of the other.

3. In a loader of the kind described, the combination with a truck, of a traveling pickup device including a bar, an adjustable holder on the bar, and a tine and a rake carried by the holder and located, the one in advance of the other.

el. In a loader of the kind described, the combination with a truck, of a traveling pickup device including a bar, a holder on the bar, a tine and a rake carried by the holder and located, the one in advance of the other, and a stripper for the rake.

5. In a loader of the kind described, the combination with a truck, of a plurality of pickup devices located, the one in advance of the other, for projecting and receding movement. each of said pickup devices comprisinga plurality of laterally spaced tines and rakes arranged to follow, the one after the other, and strippers for the rakes during their receding movement, whereby the materials accumulated by the rakes of one pickup device is deposited in a position to be gathered by the tines of the next following pickup device.

6. In a loader' of the kind described, the combination with a truck having a deck made up of edgewise spaced plates, of a pickup device mounted for projecting and receding movements and comprising a plurality of laterally spaced tines and rakes arranged to follow, the one after the other, said tines and rakes arranged to travel below the deck during their projecting movement and to pass between the deck plates during their receding movement, said deck plates acting as strippers for the rakes during their receding movement.

7. In a loader of the kind described, the combination with a truck having a deck made up of edgewise spaced plates, of a plurality of pickup devices located, the one in advance of the other, for projecting and receding movements, each of said pickup devices comprising a plurality of laterally spaced tines and rakes arranged to follow, the one after the other, said tines and lrakes arranged to travel below the deck during their projecting movement and to .pass between the deck plates during their receding movement, said deck plates acting as strippers for the rakes during their receding movement, whereby the materials accumulated by the rakes of one pickup device will be deposited in a position to be gathered by Athe tines of the next following picku device.

. 8. In a loader of the kind descri ed, the combination with a truck, of a pickup device including a holder having a pair of loose hubs, a tine secured to the holder, and a rake formed from a single bar bent upon itself to form a pair of teeth having intermediate spring coils encircling said hubs, and a bolt securing the hubs to the holder.

In testimony whereof I aii'ix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

OBRA L. GILLILAND. `Witnesses:

CLARA DEMAREST, HARRY D. KILGORE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner ot Patents, Washington, D. G. 

